Actually, we are all hypocrites.
That’s right, every one of us does something different from what we say, or at least from what we believe in. Regardless of how strong our personal values, we live in a society of other people.
No matter how much we might like to follow our own values at every turn, our lives are full of compromises. Every time we compromise our values, we become hypocrites.
Most compromises are small. These could be:
- Eating something we would rather not eat, just to be polite.
- Taking a shortcut to please someone else, even when we believe the full route would be better.
- Obeying a law we believe to be unjust or even just less than ideal.
These things all make us hypocrites. But they don’t make us bad. In fact, such hypocrisy is a good thing.
Every now and then, someone asks us to do something that contradicts our values more than most things. Sometimes we can’t compromise. Where we draw that line is where we feel we might become “bad” hypocrites. That line is neither sharp, nor clear – and someone else’s line is never visible to us.
Let us hold true to our values, but compromise when it is appropriate…and not judge others who choose where to draw their lines.
Cheers!
Vidya
2 comments
I think each person have to protect their own values.
Well said. True, all the times it is difficult to stick on to our values but any attempt on our part to be nearer to it is enough to be on the right path.